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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 3:52:37 GMT
The swan song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song in the moment just before death.
Some Directors ended on a high note, some fizzled out with their final effort.
Do you have a memorable, or, a rather be forgotten film swan song from a favourite Director ?
Russian Director Boris Barnet made his first film in 1927 and his last in 1963
Polustanok , Whistle Stop (1963) from the humanitarian heart of Barnet tells the story of an academic city man Pavel who takes a much needed break at a remote collective farm, he wants to relax and spend his time on a neglected past interest, painting.
Pavel takes up residence in an old barn and two of the collectives children Grishka & Nyuska befriend him. Painting time is diverted in all sorts of directions, adorable 5 year old Nyuska exclaims " landlords must do subsidiary work".
No amount of words can describe the heart-warming profoundly touching beauty of this gentle little film, the final words of Pavel before his departure are among the most moving in my cinematic experience and never fail to draw a tear from my eye.
The poignancy of Barnet's Swan Song is compounded by the fact that having battled depression most of his life he tragically took his own life in 1965.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2017 19:40:58 GMT
John Huston ended on a high note after a series of misfires (although Prizzi's Honor was well received I didn't like it much) with The Dead.
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Post by mattgarth on Mar 30, 2017 19:54:50 GMT
Capra's finale -- his LADY FOR A DAY remake POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES -- was a financial failure but has gained in stature since.
Mankiewicz went out with a winner -- SLEUTH.
Some last gasp whimpers:
SEVEN WOMEN (John Ford)
RAID ON ROMMEL (Henry Hathaway)
ROOFTOPS (Robert Wise)
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN (George Stevens)
THE LIBERATION of L.B. Jones (William Wyler)
LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE (William Wellman)
RICH AND FAMOUS (George Cukor)
BUDDY BUDDY (Billy Wilder)
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Post by Wesley Crusher on Mar 30, 2017 20:07:28 GMT
The Ten Commandments (1956) - Cecil B. DeMille
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Post by Doghouse6 on Mar 30, 2017 20:19:43 GMT
The Ten Commandments (1956) - Cecil B. DeMille Although Anthony Quinn is the credited director, it's been said that DeMille was actually the guiding hand of 1958's The Buccaneer (à la Spielberg/Hooper/ Poltergeist or Hawks/Nyby/ The Thing From Another World). Certainly not an epic in the manner of TTC, but The Buccaneer is quite lively and fun, and I prefer it for repeat viewings. |
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Post by Nalkarj on Mar 30, 2017 20:20:39 GMT
The first movie that comes to my mind is Robert Altman's swan song, A Prairie Home Companion (based, yes, on Garrison Keiller's always-wonderful radio show), which must be one of the most compassionate movies I've ever seen.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 22:12:13 GMT
One of cinema’s most curious failures. Charlie Chaplin’s Swan Song, A Countess From Hong Kong (1967) hard to believe that Chaplin could ever have produced such a cold, pitifully unfunny film such as this.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 22:21:53 GMT
Capra's finale -- his LADY FOR A DAY remake POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES -- was a financial failure but has gained in stature since. Mankiewicz went out with a winner -- SLEUTH. Some last gasp whimpers: SEVEN WOMEN (John Ford) RAID ON ROMMEL (Henry Hathaway) ROOFTOPS (Robert Wise) THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN (George Stevens) THE LIBERATION of L.B. Jones (William Wyler) LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE (William Wellman) RICH AND FAMOUS (George Cukor) BUDDY BUDDY (Billy Wilder) Thanks Matt for those last gasp whimpers, such a distinguished group of directors, a group of films have not seen, I will be interested to read the critics raves... |
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 22:45:07 GMT
Two final films I can think off where the original Director has died during production ...
That Lady in Ermine (1948) Ernst Lubitsch died of a heart attack a month into shooting and was replaced by Otto Preminger who certainly could not emulate that "Lubitsch Touch" , panned by most critics...
"a drab fluff musical comedy costume period piece, that has a ridiculous fantasy narrative, forgettable music, miscast stars"
A Dandy in Aspic (1968) Director Anthony Mann died of a heart attack during production and was replaced by Laurence Harvey, I must admit having read negative reviews it is the only Anthony Mann film available I have not seen, a film that certainly has earned a mixed reaction, but I am now intrigued and will place it in my next order.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 22:58:24 GMT
Two favorites that I can think of right now: PASSAGE TO INDIA (David Lean) - which Lean, wrote, directed, and edited THE MAN IN THE MOON (Robert Mulligan) - an underrated film, in my opinion, that's a little reminiscent of Mulligan's great film, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Thanks spiderwort... great mention, Passage to India, a monumental swan song capping off an outstanding career from David Lean, ranks justly so as one of the greatest screen adaptations, an absolute delight The Man in the Moon ? will have to check it out thanks for the recommendation. |
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 30, 2017 23:32:24 GMT
A personal favourite... Une Histoire de vent , A Tale of the Wind (1988)
Dutch born International filmmaker Joris Ivens was 89 and close to death when he made his final film in China. A pioneering documentary filmmaker, he travelled the world capturing aspects of our humanity where others feared to tread.
Ivens prolific career spanned six decades his Swan Song is a deeply moving film, a multi faceted tale in which he reflects on his life and career.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 31, 2017 3:09:41 GMT
John Huston ended on a high note after a series of misfires (although Prizzi's Honor was well received I didn't like it much) with The Dead. Thanks stammaman. The Dead (1987) looks excellent, have popped a copy it onto my shopping basket . adapted from James Joyce short story , I recently had the pleasure to see James Joyce's Women (1985) a British/Irish period drama film produced by and starring Fionnula Flanagan. A remarkable swan song from the great director, a labour of love... According to film critic Pauline Kael... "Huston directed the movie, at eighty, from a wheelchair, jumping up to look through the camera, with oxygen tubes trailing from his nose to a portable generator; most of the time, he had to watch the actors on a video monitor outside the set and use a microphone to speak to the crew. Yet he went into dramatic areas that he'd never gone into before - funny, warm family scenes that might be thought completely out of his range. Huston never before blended his actors so intuitively, so musically." |
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gadolinium
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Post by gadolinium on Mar 31, 2017 16:38:24 GMT
L'Atalante by Jean Vigo.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 31, 2017 20:28:20 GMT
Russian Director Larisa Shepitko tragically died along with four of her crew in a car accident while scouting locations for an up-coming film production. At only 40 years of age her International reputation & recognition was building, having been established with her excellent compelling psychological war time drama Voskhozhdeniye , The Ascent (1974) which ranks up there among the greatest films , sadly it was her swan song.
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Post by manfromplanetx on Mar 31, 2017 20:45:21 GMT
Thanks gadolinium... L’Atalante (1934) still enthralling audiences with it's hypnotic atmosphere today. Only 29 when he left us, Jean Vigo was a brief profound moment but forever enshrined in cinematic history |
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Post by teleadm on Mar 31, 2017 21:34:45 GMT
Otto Preminger, Richard Fleisher, Ewdard Dmyrtyk, Henry Hathaway, Vincente Minelli.Sergei Eisenstein..not really the worst but antway.....
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Post by gadolinium on Mar 31, 2017 23:32:38 GMT
If we count Bergman's features only, then Fanny and Alexander is a great way to end one's career. Much better than, say, Fever Pitch or The Osterman Weekend or drunken wine commercials.
A few more examples:
Gertrud by Dreyer
Play Dirty by De Toth
Tabu by Murnau
Street of Shame by Mizoguchi
Impressionen unter Wasser by Riefenstahl
and Eyes Wide Shut.
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